


brick by brick we build a future

by DragonBread



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Communication, Fluff, Immortality, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Relationship Talks, Romantic Fluff, discussions of fatherhood, discussions of future plans, mlm author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 03:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonBread/pseuds/DragonBread
Summary: Magnus and Alec discuss their future together





	brick by brick we build a future

**Author's Note:**

> this was loosely inspired by [this post](http://softfallshadow.tumblr.com/post/165592343719/thunderbot-rifa-cecaeliawitch) on tumblr, as well as a conversation with my dearest [Ira](http://legendarybane.tumblr.com). It's been over a year since I wrote for this or any fandom, so I hope this came together okay!
> 
> Huge thanks again to [Ira](http://legendarybane.tumblr.com) for giving this a quick beta and telling me it was sufficiently gay, and to everyone else who did some cheerleading throughout the process!!
> 
> EDIT: A statement was made mentioning that I didn't bring up the illegality of interracial marriage; I apologize and have edited the work to adjust.

It's a simple question, and Magnus is surprised by how much it surprises him. They're curled together on the couch, Alec tucked under his arm, resting against his chest and occasionally tipping his head up to be kissed. There's been talking, but they're hardly trying to hold a conversation; Alec will say something idly about his day or about Izzy, Magnus will complain about a client or mention a new book, the other will respond, and a few minutes later they're kissing again, the talk forgotten. It's lazy and slow, nice, the kind of evening Magnus wishes every evening could be.

So when Alec softly asks, “Have you ever been married?” Magnus is caught entirely off guard.

“No,” he says, too thrown to sound anything but sharp, too thrown to be anything but honest.

“Oh.” 

Alec seems to shrink a little against his chest, and Magnus hurries to say something, anything, to sound less harsh. “I've just...never had the opportunity,” he manages. 

Alec hums, and relaxes slightly. “But you've been in love thousands of times.”

Magnus can't help a soft chuckle. “I haven't loved everyone I've dated, Alexander. And you have to understand, for most of my life, the primary purpose of marriage was something I can't do.”

“You mean kids?” 

Magnus sighs. “It's not just that. Plenty of mortals don't want to tie themselves to someone who won't age with them. Plenty of immortals don't want to actually promise _forever_. Not to mention, most of my life gay marriage wasn't just unlawful, it was actually illegal to lie with another man. Sort of makes the rings and ceremony bit not something one considers, you know? So that's the guys right out. And you know the issues with interracial marriage.”

Alec lets out a harsh chuckle, not like he thinks it’s funny but like he has to do something with the emotions he’s feeling. “I guess it makes sense. I just can't imagine being with you for a lifetime and not wanting to do everything I could to make sure people knew you were _mine._ ”

“Well, I may be old, and I may have had a lot loves, but I haven't lived a thousand lifetimes.”

“You're saying most of your relationships have been fairly short?” Alec shifts so he can look more easily at Magnus’s face. “Have you ever stayed with someone the whole rest of their life?”

Magnus can hear the insecurity behind the question. “I've wanted to at least a dozen times, but I've only actually done it twice, and I'm not sure one of those is really...what you're meaning.”

“What do you mean?”

Magnus sighs again. “He died less than a year into our relationship. A war. I was with him when he died but I...couldn't do anything.”

Alec shifts so he can wrap his arm around Magnus's chest and hold him in a sort of sitting hug. “That's awful.”

“It was.”

A few beats of silence.

“Do you think you might...want to stay with me?” Alec's voice is small.

“Alec, I want that more than anything.” Magnus presses a kiss to his forehead. “I don't know if it's in our cards. But I want it to be, I want to be with you. I want to marry you more than I've ever wanted to marry anyone.”

“Oh,” Alec says, blinking hard. “Okay.”

Magnus smiles, and tightens his arm around Alec. “I love you. More than I really thought I could.”

“I love you more than I thought was possible.” Alec angles his face up for kisses, and the conversation gets lost in the soft warmth of their lips pressing together.

  


* * *

  


Magnus finds himself thinking about that conversation over and over in the weeks that follow. He knows shadowhunters are big on traditional values, and that Alec loves him, but somehow he'd never really put those things together in his head before. Even with how solid and steady their relationship is, Magnus had never really let himself think that a shadowhunter of all people, even one like Alec, might want to _marry_ him. He'd barely let himself imagine that they might be together the rest of Alec's life.

He’s letting himself imagine it now. Alec's ring on his finger. _His_ ring on _Alec's_ finger. The two of them, together, secure in that togetherness, promising each other “in sickness and in health, for better and for worse”. He likes the idea more than he cares to admit.

 

It’s about a month after that, and Magnus has a house call run later than expected. It wasn't bad, but it does have him coming home well after he'd planned to, and it’s Alec's night off so he probably beat him there.

Magnus opens the door to the loft, expecting to find Alec, and instead is greeted by a very enthusiastic child-sized blur.

“Magnus!” Madzie shouts, barreling into him and throwing her arms around him.

“Hello, sweet pea!” he says, pleased and surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“Mommy’s having dinner with her _girlfriend_ ,” Madzie says petulantly. “Dot said I could stay but Mommy said she wanted it to be a ‘grown up dinner’.”

“Well! Sounds like they're having fun, we'll just have to have more fun without them, won't we?” 

“Yeah!” Madzie is happy again like the flash of frustration hadn't even come. “Come on, Alec and I are drawing and you have to see!”

He follows her into the living room, where Alec is sitting on the couch in front of the explosion of paper and crayons covering their coffee table. 

“Look Magnus, I made so many!” 

Magnus catches Alec's eye and smiles as Madzie shows him all her drawings. Alec has done a few too, and Madzie insists that he show them off as well. Alec isn't too bad with a crayon.

As soon as all drawings have been appropriately admired, Madzie gets to work on another. Magnus touches Alec's shoulder to get his attention and jerks his head to indicate they should go to another room. 

“We'll be back in a minute, okay, sweetheart? Magnus and I need to talk for a second.”

Madzie just nods, already focused on her drawing.

“I hope it's okay that I said we'd watch her,” Alec says once they're out of the room. “Cat sounded like she really needed the night off.”

“I love having her here, you know that. I just wasn't expecting it. Are we keeping her overnight?”

Alec shakes his head. “They're just having dinner at home. Dot said she'd be by to get her before eight-thirty.”

Magnus nods, thinking. “Sounds good. Can we talk after?”

“You know we can. Is everything okay?” Alec is instantly concerned and Magnus smiles to reassure him.

“Everything is more than okay, don't worry.” He isn't even really sure what he wants to say, just that something about Madzie being here combined with the way his thoughts have been going makes him want to say _something_. Hopefully that feeling will sort itself out by the time Madzie leaves.

As the night goes on, Magnus finds himself watching Alec and Madzie. He’s so at ease with her, and so good at knowing just what to say to her, and she seems to glow around him. They watch her for Catarina at least once a month, and Alec always seems to light up around her, no matter how hard his day has been. 

They both do, he realizes, feeling his mouth pull into an involuntary grin as Madzie carefully ladles sauce onto her spaghetti. She’d wanted to serve herself, and he'd indulged her, even though she isn't quite tall enough to have a good angle. A child, laughing at their dinner table as she spills but manages to get most of a spoonful of sauce on her pasta, and Magnus is helpless against the joy of it. 

He meets Alec's eyes and sees that joy reflected there, and he feels something click in his heart as he realizes what it is he needs to say.

  

Alec waits until the portal light of Madzie going home has faded completely, but only just. “What's wrong, Magnus?”

“Nothing's wrong,” Magnus says, and means it, though he's worried about how many emotions are at the surface of him. He feels uncertain and scared, but also hopeful and excited, and he can’t tell if he’s on the edge of laughing or crying. “Can we sit down?”

Alec sits close to him on the couch, and Magnus leans against him, looking at his hands instead of Alec's face.

“Would you want…have you ever thought about, if we did get married, kids?” It comes out far less coherent than Magnus had hoped, but Alec knows him, loves him, and it doesn't take him any time to understand.

“I never really thought I'd get the chance to be a father,” he says, and Magnus can hear the rawness of the honesty in his voice. “I figured, best case, I'd get to be an uncle. I've always loved children.” He smiles, and there's something sad to it, but not quite, like an old hurt that's mostly healed. “And then I met you, and I realized a lot of things I hadn't thought were possible might be.”

“I never thought I'd get the chance to either,” Magnus admits. “I’ve adopted countless downworlders, one way or another, but none of them were ever _my child._ I'd half convinced myself I didn't want that.”

“But?” Alec prompts gently, when Magnus's silence goes on too long.

“But I look at you and I see a future. I look at you and Madzie and I see...hope.” He closes his eyes and tucks his head into Alec's neck. “It scares me, but I want it. I want that future, with you, with a wedding and kids and a life built together.”

Alec takes a deep breath, like he's surprised, and Magnus feels Alec's arm come up around his back, holding him closer. “Me too,” he says simply. And then, “I'm scared by it too. I don't know exactly how all of that is going to work, and I don't know for sure if we can do it, but I want it.”

Magnus lets out a breath, and then kisses Alec's neck, keeping his lips close as he murmurs, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alec says softly. “I intend to love you forever.”

“Me too,” Magnus says, and in a way it's a promise.

  


* * *

  


“So, how many kids are you thinking?” Alec asks. 

It's been a few weeks, and they've just been quietly making dinner, but this time Magnus isn't surprised. A small smile pulls at his lips as he keeps chopping carrots, not bothering to look up. “Not more than three.”

Alec chuckles, and Magnus hears a sizzle as he stirs something on the stove. The whole kitchen smells of sauteing onions and garlic. “I _suppose_ I could be okay with that. I was thinking two, actually.”

“Two is very reasonable,” Magnus agrees, sliding the carrots into a bowl and pulling out some marjoram. “I'd have thought you'd want more, what with all those siblings.”

“Yeah, because my parents did _so well_ with treating all four of us fairly.” Alec scoffs, and Magnus looks up to see him shaking his head. “Honestly, I love kids, but if I've learned anything from Madzie it's that even one can be a handful. I wouldn't want to have more kids than I knew we could give enough attention to.”

Magnus nods. “That makes a lot of sense. Have you thought about how old you'd want them to be? Age difference?”

Alec laughs, bright and amused. “I haven't really gotten that far. I didn't even know if you'd say yes to more than one.”

“I hear that having siblings builds important social skills.”

“You seem to do all right without having had them.” Alec turns to face him so Magnus can see his raised eyebrows.

Magnus laughs, bringing his chopped vegetables to go in with the onions Alec has in the pan and sliding an arm around Alec's waist. “I've had a lot longer than most to learn them. I'd prefer to give my child a rather better start than the one I had.”

Alec turns to press a kiss to Magnus's cheek. “Our children will have a far better start than either of us had. I promise.”

  


* * *

  


It's not even two weeks later, and Magnus is flipping through stations on the tv while Alec finishes up the dishes in the kitchen. Magnus had overdone slightly earlier, and Alec had insisted that he not use any more magic for the evening, much less exert himself physically.

“Do you want a large wedding or a small one?” Magnus asks him, watching a girl try on dress after dress. 

Alec's loud laugh easily beats out the tv and the running water. “I hadn't really thought about it? How small do you think we can get away with?”

Magnus flips off the tv and comes to stand in the kitchen, leaning against a counter as Alec efficiently washes up. “Well, technically all we need is two witnesses.”

Alec laughs again. “You know what I mean. How few people can we invite without someone cursing our family to the seventh generation?”

“Hmmm, I don't know,” Magnus says with mock-thoughtfulness. “Some of my friends might really do that, you know.”

“Believe me, I do.” The eye roll is clear enough in his voice that Magnus can see it even with Alec's back turned. “I mean, I don't want to invite lots of people we don't really know? Honestly my side is Izzy, Jace, Max. My mom. Dad probably wouldn't come even if we invited him, which I do not want to do. Clary and Simon maybe? And Aline. I could invite Lydia and Raj probably, they'd come and be happy for us. Not a lot of other shadowhunters I can say that about, unfortunately, and most of the downworlders I know would want to come for you.”

“I do know an awful lot of downworlders,” Magnus admits. “And most of them are rather fond. I could probably keep it to twenty though? Including plus ones? The benefit of not actually being _related_ to any of them is that most of them will understand not being invited to my wedding. Although this is my one and only wedding, I feel like I'd have to pick that list carefully.”

“I don't want to force you to not invite people, Magnus. If they're important to you they should be there. We don't have to divide people into sides if it's too unbalanced.” Alec puts the last dish in the drying rack and turns around. “Babe, you're supposed to be resting.”

Magnus rolls his eyes as dramatically as he can. “Alexander, I am _fine_. I can stand for ten minutes without harm. And I don't need to invite the entire downworld to my wedding—”

“I didn't think you did. But you could, if you wanted to. And I know you _can_ stand, but you shouldn't have to, come on, let's go sit and watch some tv for a bit.” Alec takes both of his hands and starts tugging him towards the living room.

Magnus lets him, following easily, and he lays down with his head on Alec's lap once they get to the couch. “Are you happy now? Am I relaxing sufficiently?”

Alec rolls his eyes. “For now.”

Magnus thumps his head against Alec's stomach. “I’ve survived plenty of days like this without you mother henning me.”

“Yes, but I don't intend to make you survive any more.” Alec cards his fingers through Magnus's hair the way he knows Magnus likes, and he can't help closing his eyes in pleasure. “You've got me to take care of you now.”

“You won't be here forever,” Magnus says, as gently as he can. 

“Says who? There are lots of ways of becoming immortal.”

Magnus's eyes snap open. “What?”

Alec is blushing, and not meeting Magnus's eyes. “I just...figured we'd figure something out? Unless you don't...want that. Forever is a long time, and all that.”

“Alec. Look at me,” Magnus says firmly, and waits until he does. “Where did this come from? Have I ever made you feel like your life wasn't more than enough for me?”

“No! Not at all. I just.” Alec takes a deep breath. “Magnus, I want to be with you. I want to stay with you.”

“Mortality is a lot to give up for someone,” Magnus says darkly. “Most would say too much. Living forever, it's not much of a blessing.”

“I know that,” Alec says, and then shakes his head. “I mean, I obviously can't _know_ that. But I see the pain it causes you. I know it would mean...an infinity of losses. But if it could mean one less loss, for you, I want it. I want to be able to live the rest of your life with you. And more than that...I think about all the things I could do, if I had the time. I could take the time to see the world and enjoy it and still have to time to change it for the better. I think about this work I'm doing to bridge the gap between the clave and the downworld—that's lifetimes worth of work right there, and if I age, retire, die, who's to say that there will be someone else to complete it? I don't think I'd be able to bear being immortal if I didn't have someone to spend that time with but...I want it for more than just you.”

Magnus closes his eyes again. “I'm glad it isn't just me,” he says slowly. “I wouldn't want that. It's more than just loss, it's a sense of...never quite being a part of the world, even as you are a part of it. It's watching things change—the world is constantly changing—and not being able to change with it, not really. It is bitterly lonely, if one bears it alone.”

“But I wouldn't be,” Alec argues gently. “I'd have you.”

“What if something happened to me?” Magnus asks, knowing how harshly he's asking and keeping his eyes tightly shut to avoid seeing Alec's face. “I can be killed. What then?”

“What kind of a question is that?” 

“One you need to think about, apparently.” Magnus sighs, and opens his eyes. “You asked if I didn't want that. Of course I want it. I want it more than anything.” His voice cracks, and he has to swallow before continuing. “But I need you to have weighed all parts of it before you make a decision that so deeply affects you.”

“I will,” Alec says, sounding a little shaken. “I just...really don't want to leave you. Who will make you lie down if I'm gone? Who will make you soup and clean up for you?”

Magnus laughs a little. “You're right. I'll have to keep you around.”

Alec smiles, and starts running his fingers through Magnus's hair again, and neither of them bothers to turn on the tv.

  


* * *

  


The way they talk about the future changes, after that. It's not every few weeks, it's just casual conversation. It's “when we get married….” or “wouldn't this be a great place to take the kids?” or “we'll have to come back in a hundred years for the next eclipse.” They haven't done anything about anything, of course, but the mutual understanding is there. They're on the same page and they know they want the same things, even if they also know they aren't quite ready to get there just yet.

It's something Magnus hasn't ever had before, really. A relationship that looks to the future. He's spent his whole life living as aggressively in the present as possible, not thinking about what's happened and not trying to imagine what things will be like. Usually when he thinks too hard about the future, it hurts—he starts thinking about how all the good things he has now will be gone, how the people he cares about will die or leave and the places he loves will be destroyed and changed beyond recognition. But now he finds himself thinking about the good things. 

He thinks about building a life with Alec, about a wedding and children. Watching the children grow, and watching Alec grow—he's already come into himself so much in just the year Magnus has known him, so eager to learn from his mistakes and move past his misconceptions. Magnus finds himself imagining Alec centuries from now, still fighting the good fight wherever he can find it. He imagines coming home to Alec every day, always having someone to listen to him complain about shitty clients to, to eat dinner with, listening to Alec's stories, not having to be alone when he doesn't want to be. Having a future with someone who knows him, someone he trusts, a true partner to spend his days with. 

He finds himself making note of spells to do with longevity, keeping them in the back of his mind, idly calculating the costs and benefits of each and contemplating how those can be balanced.

He goes to his favorite jeweler and his eye keeps getting caught by the case of wedding rings; the attendant notices and offers to pull some out for him, and he turns a heavy titanium band set with sapphires over and over in his hand before handing it back and quickly taking his leave. 

  


* * *

  


When he gets the text from Alec a few weeks after their anniversary, he doesn't really think anything of it. It isn't unusual for them to do impromptu dates, and the way the week has been going Magnus is more than glad to hear _“I'm doing something special for dinner, try not to be late <3”_

His job that day ends only a few minutes late, for once, and he'll definitely make it home by seven, which is what he'd told Alec that morning. He's glad he has time to walk—he's used a lot of magic already, and it's the kind of brisk fall day that makes you feel invigorated just by being outside. It isn't far, and he's still early when he opens the door to the loft, unable to help the smile that spreads across his face when he sees all the candles Alec has lit.

“You made it!” Alec says, coming out of the kitchen and leaning in for his hello kiss. 

The kiss is short but sweet, and it's one of the many things Magnus loves about having Alec in his life. “I did indeed. This looks lovely, Alexander, thank you.”

Alec beams and blushes, as he always does when Magnus praises him. “I made that salmon thing you like?”

“Ooh, _saumon au beurre blanc_ , how lovely!” Magnus follows Alec into the dining area, where the table is beautifully set with even more candles. 

There’s a decanter of red wine on the table, and Magnus pours each of them a glass as Alec goes into the kitchen to finish dinner. He loves it when Alec does things like this, and he knows Alec loves doing it too—loves having the excuse to cook something nice, loves getting to make Magnus smile and feel looked after, loves having a lovely dinner together in their home and knowing he put in the work to make it happen. Magnus will usually take them out somewhere if he's planning a date, or bring food in from somewhere he knows is excellent, but Alec loves cooking and he's more than good at it.

Alec comes out with beautiful plates of salmon and asparagus, and as they eat they talk about their days. It's lovely, as it always is, but Alec seems a little anxious—he comes out with warm chocolate cake for dessert and the plates rattle as he sets them down. The look on his face says not to ask, though, and Magnus has learned that often the best way to get Alec to talk is simply to make himself available to listen.

“This cake is perfect, Alexander. You've outdone yourself,” he says, taking a bite.

Alec smiles, pushing the cake around on his plate. “I wanted to do something special tonight.”

“Any particular reason?” Magnus takes another bite of the cake and lets himself savor it. It really is excellent, as was the rest of the meal, but he gets the sense that Alec is building up to something, and he doesn't know what.

“Not really,” Alec says, but his voice is a little too high. 

“Alexander.”

Alec visibly steels himself before taking Magnus's hand and sliding out of his chair to kneel on the floor in front of him. “Magnus. I love you.” He laughs awkwardly, but Magnus can't even smile, heart in his throat. “This last year with you has been the best year of my life. There are so many things I thought I couldn't have, never even allowed myself to want, and you have given me all of them and more. You have been my rock and my anchor, my lover and my best friend. You've taught me what it means to want to come home to someone—to have someone be my home, to have a home and not just a place to sleep.”

Alec pauses to swallow, and Magnus feels himself blinking too fast as his emotions well up, threatening to overwhelm him. Even with as much as they've talked about this, he can't believe it's actually happening, that Alec is actually down on one knee looking up at him with the most earnest expression he's ever seen.

“I love you,” Alec says again. “I love you in the morning when you're half asleep and trip over yourself trying to get coffee. I love it when your power is on full display and you force respect out of those who would look down on you. I love you when you've spent hours on your outfit and I lose my breath just looking at you—and I love it when I lose my breath even more looking at you without any of those embellishments. I love having the privilege of being the first person to see you in the morning and the last one to see you at night. I love getting to hold you in my arms and being held by you in turn. I love you when you're sad and you can't talk about it, and I love you when you do, I love that you trust me to take care of you and your heart and your past and that you want to trust me with your future. I love knowing that I can trust you too, with anything and everything that I might need to. 

“I love that you let me take care of you, and that you take care of me, even when I don't need it. I love our quiet evenings in and our loud nights out. I love how your face lights up when I cook for you or get you an unexpected gift. I love that little smile you get every time I kiss you.” Alec laughs again, wetly, and Magnus realizes that they're both crying. “I love how beautiful and handsome you are, how unashamedly yourself you are, how powerful and strong you are. I love that you let me see you with your walls down, when you struggle, and that you make me feel safe to show you my struggles too. I love that I can be myself around you, completely, and that I never have to worry about being too much or not enough. I love how much you love me, and how much you show it every day, in both small and large ways.

“When I first met you, I thought you were the hottest guy I'd ever seen.” Alec laughs again, and takes one hand from Magnus's to wipe at his eyes. “That hasn't changed. But I never dreamed then how much I would come to love your heart, much less that you would love me the same. I never imagined getting to come home every day to someone as amazing and good as you are. I never imagined getting so much love from you that I feel like my heart will burst from it, but I did. I do, every day. You give me more than I could ever hope to repay, and yet, somehow, you also think I'm enough for you, and I hope to be able to continue giving you all my love every day for the rest of our lives.”

Alec takes a deep breath and reaches into his pocket. The ring box is plain black, but the ring inside is anything but plain, a thick silver band set with black diamonds and rubies. “Magnus Bane, I love you. Will you marry me?”

Magnus can feel the tears pouring down his face, and he can't make his voice work. He nods, vigorously, and Alec slides the ring onto his left ring finger. He's not surprised at all that it fits perfectly. “Yes, Alec, yes, please, I love you too, I love you so much, I love you, I love you, I love you—”

Alec pushes up and kisses him, and it's the best kiss he's ever had, even though they're both still crying and the angle is terrible. Magnus feels himself start shaking and then he's breaking the kiss to lean their foreheads together and laugh against Alec's mouth. Alec is laughing too, they're both giggling like children, leaning too close together and just giddy with love.

“I love you,” Alec says after a few minutes.

“Apparently so,” Magnus replies, cheeks sore from grinning too much. “Good thing I love you too.”

“A very good thing,” Alec says, standing and pulling Magnus up into a hug, whispering with his lips next to Magnus's ear. “The best thing that's ever happened to me.”

Magnus holds him tightly, and kisses the side of his head. There's so much he wants to say, but he doesn't have the words—Alec has spoken all the words for him, just now, and while he's grateful, as always, that Alec understands him without all the words, that Alec understands that loving speeches don't come naturally to him, he feels the need to reciprocate somehow. “I couldn't ask for a better fiancé,” he manages, eyes closed as he clutches Alec to him. “I never dreamed I'd get to have this either. I never dreamed I would meet someone like you, who would see me in my entirety and yet somehow still love me the way you do. I never imagined I'd find someone who could be my partner and my equal, someone who makes me feel as loved as wholly and securely as you do, who'd want to spend eternity with me. Your love is easily the best thing to ever happen to me too, Alec. I don't say it enough.”

Alec breaks the hug, pulling back so he can see Magnus's face, and waits for Magnus to open his eyes. “You do say it enough. You say it in hundreds of ways, you say it every day. I see it in your actions even when the words don't come, always. And you do tell me all the time how much you love me.”

Magnus smiles. “Maybe I'm just disappointed that you beat me to the dramatic speech.”

Alec laughs. “I won't stop you if you want to give one.”

“I think I've cried enough for one night. Besides, I haven't actually bought the ring yet. Maybe I'll surprise you with it some other day.” 

“I'll be on guard for it,” Alec says teasingly. “‘Haven't actually bought the ring’? Does that mean you picked one out?”

Magnus waggles his eyebrows. “Wouldn't you like to know.”

They both laugh, and then Alec's eyes slip down to Magnus's lips and the light mood is gone. 

“So,” Alec says. “Fiancé, huh?”

“Fiancé,” Magnus agrees, and kisses him as fiercely as he can.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!! Find me on [tumblr](http://softfallshadow.tumblr.com) if you want more soft malec nonsense (and if I'm being honest, an abundance of cat photos). Remember, comments are love!


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